Aircraft combat station



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AIRCRAFT COMBAT STATION- Filed May 19, 1943 3 Sheets$hee t l W 4 AINVENTOR D m Joint; Ttofler 1 QWQWQ, yaw.

ATT NEYS New. 27, E945. Jjc. TROTTER AIRCRAFT COMBAT STATION F iled May19, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 f/G. Z."

W J. c. TROTTER 9 9013 AIRCRAFT COMBAT STATION Filed May 19, 1943v 3Sheets-Sheet 3 f/al INVENTOR 40kg CQTroHer 41,

RNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1945 I QFFHCE AIRCRAFT COMBAT STATION an o;Trotter, Williamsv ille, NI Y., assignor to Bell Aircraft Corporation,Buffalo, N. Y.

Application May 19, 1943, Serial No. 487,608

8 Claims.

This invention relates to ordnance, and more particularly to an improvedaircraft combat station arrangement embodying in improved combination,bombardier and cannon or machine gun control facilities.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide animproved combination bombing and gun fire control installation foraircraft, such as is adapted to be carried at a combat station locatedin the nose or tail portion of an aircraft, or the like. Another objectof the invention is to provide an improved rapid fire gun mountarrangement with remot'ely disposed gun sight and gun aim control means.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thespecification hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in sectionof a combat control stationof the invention including a gun mount and a gun aim control and abombing control arrangement, shown as being mounted at the nose of anairplane fuselage; 1

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, throughthe gun mount arrangement; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan showing a portion of the gun mountenclosure.

The drawings illustrate the invention as comprising a combat controlstation and an improved gun mount arrangement carrying a pair of machineguns or the like as indicated at I I0. The control station and batteryunit is shown as being disposed at the front end of an airplane fuselagewhich is indicated generally at H. The guns ill-40 are arranged toextend in parallel spaced relation by means of a gun mount cradleindicated generally at l2. The cradle l2 comprises specifically aplurality of paired bearer rods extending parallel to corresponding ofsaid guns and adjacent the bottoms thereof; said bearer rods beinginterconnected at their corresponding end portions by transversebrackets l5-l5. The guns are slidabl mounted upon corresponding of thebearer tube units by means of brackets l6-l8 extending from the guncases and terminating in eye portions Ill-l9 (Fig. 3) encircling thecorresponding bearer tube members. Suitable recoil shock absorbingdevices are mounted as indicated at 20 in conjunction with each of theguns to extend between the slide brackets .I8I8 and the fixed bracketsI5--|5 thereof. Thus, it will be understood that the guns are mounted tobe reciprocable relative to the gun mount frame in response to recoilforces of the gun firing operations, and to be intermediately returnedto firing positions by the devices 2ll20.

A centrally arranged hollow casing 22 is disposed between and oppositethe guns Ill-l8 (Figs. 1 and 3) to function as a receiver for ammunitionbelt links as they are ejected by the guns subsequent to disintegrationof the cartridge belts by the machine gun rounds stripping mechanisms.The casing 22 is suitably apeltured at opposite side portions thereof asat 29 to register with the elected link ports of the guns Ill-I0 for thepurpose ofreceiving the ejected links. The casing has an obliquelydownwardly extending neck 41 in fixed relation with an aperture oroutlet port 412 of oblong shape formed in the bottom plate 43.

The bearer tube units are each provided at inside positions thereon witha stirrup bracket 24 which extends vertically therefrom and into,

keyed connection with the corresponding end of a cross bar 25 (Fig. 3).The bar 25 is Journalled upon apertured bearing portions 26-28 of ashell-like mounting bracket 21. The bar 25 is keyed to the hub portionof a peripherally toothed gear segment 28 (Fig. 1) arranged to engagewith a worm gear 30 which is rotatably mounted within a bracket portion3! which extends integrally from the bracket 21. A hydraulic motor 32 iscarried by the bracket and is coupled to the gear so for reversedirection operation thereof to drive the segment 28 for adjusting theelevational aim of the guns Ill-40 about the axis of the trunnion bar25.

An inverted U-shaped frame 34 extends from the bracket 2'! to mount thelatter in fixed relation upon a turret base ring portion 36 which iscarried by means of vertically and horizontally directed rolls 3839 upona ring frame 40 which is stationarily supported upon the aircraftfuselage. The plate 43 having the opening 42 therein constitutes acentral framing structure of an enclosure 64 which encompasses the gunbattery and mount mechanism to provide protection therefore against theelements. It will be understood that the enclosure 44 may be of anydesired structural form and will be based upon the ring 36 so as torotate as a unit with the gun battery about the central vertical axis ofthe ring frame MI.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the enclosure 44 is vertically slotted asindicated at 45 where the gun barrels protrude therethrough, so as topermit the guns to be elevaticnally adjusted relative to the turret.Empt cartridge case carrying chutes 46-46 are arranged in opencommunication at their upper ends with corresponding case ejection portsof the guns Ill-l0, and at their lower terfering with the fixedconnections of the chutes 4846 to the base plate 43. In Fig. 1 the chute46 is shown broken away at the central portion for exposing the outletneck 4| of the casing 22, Cartridge belt guide spools as indicated at 48(Fig, l) are mounted at corresponding outer side portionsof the guns II0for guiding the twisting movements of the corresponding cartridge beltsinto the ammunition feedway mechanisms of the guns. The ammunition maybe effectively arranged to be fed tothe guns through spouts leading frommagazines disposed within the aircraft fuselage at otherwise unoccupiedspaces thereof; the discharge portions of the ammunition' spouts beingdisposed as indicated at 49 at approximately the region of the verticalaxis of azimuth rotation of the gun battery unit, whereby the twistingand turning movements ofthe ammunition belts will be facilitated whiletraining from the spouts and around the spools and into the feedwaymechanisms of the uns.

' A hydraulic motor 50 of any suitable type is mounted upon fixedstructure of the airplane fuselage and is geared to the turret ring 30,whereby reverse direction operation of the motor will providecorresponding azimuth aim adjustments of the turret and gun batteryunit. To provide for operation of the aim adjustment motors 32-50, apair of handles -10 are mounted by means of a horizontal shaft TI and avertical shaft 12 to extend from a control valve unit which is indicatedgenerally at 15 as being mounted in conjunction with a hydraulic pumpindicated generally at 77. A suitable hydraulic pumpand control valveand control handle unit for the purpose referred to has been disclosedin my prior patent application Serial No. 474,106 filed January 30,1943; but it will be understood that any other suitable type ofhydraulic power supply and control unit may be employed in lieu thereof.The pump I1 is illustrated as being con- 'nected to the elevationadjustment motor 32 by elevational and azimuthal aim adjustments thereof inrsynchronism with the aim control movements of the handles 10-40 aseifected manually by the gunner.

A gunner's sight as indicated generally at 80 is mounted by means of abracket 82 upon a frame 84 in such manner that the bracket is rotatablerelative to the frame about a horizontal axis extending through aconnection device 85. The frame 84 is in turn mounted upon a housing 88formed with a pair of eye portions 8989 which slidably engage upon apair of parallel slide bars 90-90 extending transversely across theupper section of the gunners compartment of the airplane. The mountingbars 9090 are fixed at their ends to any suitable stationary aircraftstructure, and a locking lever 9! is carried by the housing 88 formanual manipulation by the gunner to temporarily lock the sight devicein any position of sliding adjustment relative to the support bars90--90.

As disclosed in my co-filed patent application Serial No. 487,607 filedMay 19, 1943, the sight mechanism is preferably synchronized to all gunbattery azimuth and elevational aim control movements by means of a pairof torque cables. For example, a torque cable indicated at 92 isconnected at one end through adevice 94 to the azimuth control motor 50,and at, its other end the torque cable 92 connects into the housing 88for rotating the frame 85 relative to the housing means of a pair ofconduits 78. Another pair of conduits l9 connect the pump H to theazimuth control motor 50.

The control handle and control valve units are so arranged that thehandles Ill-i0 are disposed within convenient reach of the hands of thegunner when seated at combat position. Upon tilting of the handles |0'|0in forwardly or rearwardly directions about the axis of the shaft II thecontrol valve '15 will be actuated thereby to permit flow of fluid underpressure from, the

pump through the conduits 18-18 in such direction as to cause the motor32 to operate to rotate the gun battery about the horizonal axis of thetrunnion 25 in consonance with the tilting movement of the controlhandles 'l0--'|0. Rotation of the control handle unit about. the axis ofthe shaft 'ltwill actuate the control valve 15 in such manner as topermit circulation of fluid under pressure through the conduits 19-19 soas to operate the motor to drive the turret in azimuth in consonancewith the corresponding rotation of the control handle unit about theshaft I2. Hence, the gun battery will be driven for both 88 inconsonance with azimuth adjusting rotating movements of the gun battery.A second torque cable 96 is connected at one end into a gear box 9Qwhich contains a bevel gear unit driving a'shaft l00 carrying a bevelgear I02 which meshes with a bevel gear I04 carried by the shaft of theworm gear 30. The shaft 100 is disposed-to extend vertically andconcentrically of the axis of azimuth rotation of the gun turret, andthus elevational aim adjusting operations of'the motor 32 will drive theshaft I00 to actuate the torque cable 96. At its other end the cable 96connects into the sight mount housing 88 and threads downwardlytherethrough coaxially of the pivotal mounting of the frame 84 relativeto the housing 88 and thence into driving connection with the bracket82. Thus, rotation of the torque cable 96 in response to operation ofthe motor 32 will cause the bracket 82 to pivot relative to the frame84, whereby the sight 80 will pivot vertically in consonance withelevational aim adjustments of the gun battery. Details of thearrangements referred to for synchronizing aim adjusting movements ofthe gun battery and the sight will be found in my co-filed patentapplication referred to; but it will be understood that any othersuitable means for properly synchronizing aim adjusting movements of thegun battery and the sight may be employed the turret support ring 36 forsupport of the feet of the gunner-bombardier. The bombsight device for'the combat station is arranged to be mounted in the'center thereof, asindicated at H5 and at a position between the knees of thegunner-bombardier when seated upon the stool 0. Thus, the eye piece I I6of the bombsight will relative to the gun turret M in such manner thatthe lower limit, as indicated by the line 8, of

the required range of vision from the bombsight clears the un turret atthe forward edge thereof. region of the combat station are formedgenerally of transparent sheet material such as suitable resinousproducts or the like, whereby the gunner-bombardier will be enclosedwithin a transparent walled compartment from which he may view thesurrounding territory in substantially all directions.

For optimum bomb laying performance the bombsight I i8 is flrmlyandpermanently mounted at the position shown in the drawings so as to beaccurately positioned at all times relative to the aircraft, wherebyaccurate integration of bombsighting calculations with readings takenfrom the instruments independently of the bombsight, may beeffected. Inview of this particular disposition of the bombsight relative to the.position of the gunner-bombardier stool lit, the gun aim control unitiii-I is preferably permanently positioned to one side of the bombsightIii and forwardly thereof and as close as possible thereto withoutinterfering with proper manipulation of the bombsight control mechanismsand the gun aim control handles iiiill. Because of the fact that thecontrol handles 10-10 are carried by the post 12 to extend above thevalve box 18, the valve box may be located relatively closely to thebombsight housing and the control handles The wall sections of thefuselage in the' it-10 will be thereby disposed to extend at anelevation above that of the bombsight housing. I have determined thatwith such an arrangement the gunner-bombardier may with utmost facilitymanipulate either the gun aim control handles or thebombsight adjustmentmechanisms while remaining comfortably seated upon the stool I iii.

For accurate sighting of the gun battery it is preferred to provide thatthe gun sight 88 may be disposed directly in front of the gunner as hesits upon the stool H0, and at an elevation sub-. stantially level withthe eyes of the gunner. Thus, the slide bars 90-90 are arranged tosupport the sight It at the desired elevation while being freelyslidable thereon in directions transversely of the aircraft fuselage.with the result that whenever the gunner is preparing to train-thebombsight upon a target he may push the gun sight to one side, as to theposition shown in Fig. 2, away from possible interference with movementsof the gunners head when operating the bombsight. However, whenever thegunner requires to operate the machine gun battery, the gun sight atwill be pulled over into a central position upon the support bars til-9tso as to register with the natural line of vision of the gunner whilethe latter is seated in slightly forwardly leaning attitude. Thisdisposes the image of the target as projected by the gun sight 80 at aposition substantially vertically aligned with the center of azimuth aimadjustments'of the gun battery, and therefore the gun battery and gunsight and bombsight combination of the invention provides a particularlycompact and eflicient arrangement for the purposes intended.

I claim:

i. In an aircraft. a combat station comprising iii in combination, agunner-bombardier compartment, a seat mounted within said compartment,

-a bombsight supported stationarily upon said aircraft to be disposedwithin said compartment directly in front of said seat to be straddledby the legs of the gunner-bombardier when seated upon said seat, a gunturret mounted upon said aircraft at a position vertically below saidcompartment and arranged to rotate for azimuth gun aim adjustmentpurposes about an axis directed substantially in line with the positionof the.

gunner-bombardier when seated at combat station, said gun turretincluding a gun mounted thereon to be vertically pivotable relative tosaid turret for elevational gun aim adjustment purposes, slide bar meansextending transversely of said compartment, a gun target sight deviceslidably mounted upon said slide bar means and universally pivotablerelative thereto for universal sight adjustment purposes, whereby thegunnerbombardier may move said sight at will between stowed positions ateither side of said compartment and sight operation positions directlyahead of said seat, first motor means for rotating said turret relativeto said aircraft, second motor means for rotating said gun relative tosaid turret,'means operatively connecting said turret and said gun tosaid sight for automatically moving the latter in consonance with aimingmovements of said gun, and gun aim control means operatively connectedto said first and said second motor means, said control means comprisinga manually adjustable member mounted upon said aircraft at a position toone side of said bombsight and within convenient reach of thegunnerbombardier.

2. In a bomber-gunner aircraft, a combat control station comprising agunner-bombardier compartment, a seat mounted within said compartment, abombsight supported upon said compartment-directly in front of said seatto be straddled by the legs of the gunner-bombardier when seated on saidseat, a gun mounted upon said aircraft at a position externally of saidcompartment, said gun being universally pivotable relative to theaircraft for gun aim adjustment purposes, a gun target sight devicemounted within said compartment and universally pivotable relative tothe aircraft for universal sight adjustment purposes, said sight beingbodily movable between stowed positions at either side of saidcompartment and sight operation positions directly in front of saidseat, motor means for pivoting said gun relative to said aircraft foraim adjustment purposes, means operatively connecting said gun to saidsight for automatically moving the latter in synchronism with aimingmovements of said gun, and gun aim control means operatively connectedto said motor means, said control means comprising a manually adjustablemember mounted upon said aircraft at a position to one side of saidbombsight and within convenient reach of the gunner-bom bardier.

3. In an aircraft, a combat station comprising in combination, a gunnercompartment, a seat mounted within said compartment, a gun turret'mounted upon said aircraft at a position below said compartment andarranged to rotate for azimuth Bun aim adjustment purposes about an axisdirected vertically substantially in line with the position of thegunner when seated at compurposes, bracket means, a gun target sightdevice slidably mounted upon said bracket means and universallypivotable relative thereto for uni-' and said second motor means, saidcontrol means comprising a manually adjustable .member mounted upon saidaircraft at a position to one side of and ahead of and within convenientreach of the gunner.

4. In a bomber-gunner aircraft, a combat control station comprising agunner-bombardier compartment, a seat mounted within said compartment, abombsight supported upon said com partment directly in front of saidseat to be straddied by the legs of the gunner-bombardier when seatedupon said seat, a gun mounted upon said aircraft at a positionexternally of said compartment, said gun being universally pivotabierelative to the aircraft for gun aim adjustment purposes, a gun targetsight device mounted within said compartment to be universally pivotablerelative to the aircraft for universal sight adjustment purposes, saidsight being bodily movable between stowed positions at either side ofsaid compartment and sight operation positions directly in front of saidseat, motor means for pivoting said gun relative to said aircraft foraim adjustment purposes, means operatively connecting said gun to saidsight for automatically moving the latter in synchronism with aimingmovements of saidgun, and gun aim control means operatively connected tosaid motor means.

5. In a bomber-gunner aircraft, a combat control station comprising agunner-hombardier compartment, a bombsight supported within saidcompartment, a gun battery mounted upon said aircraft at a positionexternally of said compartment, said gun battery being universallyrotatable relative to the aircraft fo gun battery aim adjustmentpurposes. gun target sight means mounted to be universally rotatablerelative to the aircraft for gun target sight adjustment purposes,control means for causing rotation of said gun battery relative to saidaircraft for aim adjustment purposes, means operatively connecting saidgun battery and said gun sight for causin automatic movements thereof insynchronism for aim adjustment purposes, said control means including amanually adjustable control member mounted upon said aircraft at aposition to one side of said bombsight.

6. In an aircraft,a combat station comprising in combination, a gunnercompartment, a gun mounted upon said aircraft and arranged to rotateimiversally for gun aim adjustment purposes, slide means extending ly ofsaid compertinent, a gun target sight device slidably mounted upon saidslide means and universally pivotable relative thereto for universalsight aim means and manually adjustable to regulate the aim adjustmentpositions of said gun.

7. In a bomber-gunner aircraft, a combatcontrol station comprising agunner-Bombardier compartment, a seat mounted within said compartment, abombsight supported upon said compartment directly in front of said seatto be straddled by the legs of the gunner-bombardier when seated uponsaid seat, a gun battery. mounted upon said aircraft at a positionexternall of said compartment, said gun battery being universallypivotable relative to the aircraft for gun battery aim adjustmentpurposes, a gun target sight device mounted within said compartment tobe universally pivotable relative to the aircraft for .universal sightadjustment purposes, said sight being bodily movable between stowedposition at a side of said compartment and at sight operation positiondirectly in front of saidseat, means for pivoting said gun batteryrelative to said aircraft for aim adjustment purposes, and meansoperatively connecting said gun to said sight for automatically movingthe latter in synchronism with aiming movements of said gun.

8. In a bomber-gunner aircraft, a combat control station comprising agunner-hombardier compartment, a seat mounted within said compartment, abombsight supported upon said compartment directly in front of said seatto be straddled by the legs of the gunner-bombardier when seated on saidseat, a gun mounted upon said aircraft at a position externally of saidcompartment, said sun being universally pivotable relative to theaircraft for gun aim adjustment purposes, a gun target sight devicemounted within said compartment to be universally pivotable relative tothe aircraft for universal sight adjustment purposes, motor means forpivoting said gun relative to said aircraft for aim adjustment p p ses,means operatively connecting said gun and said sight for causingautomatic movements thereof in synchronism for aiming adjustmentpurposes, and gun aim control means operatively connected to said motormeans, said control means comprising manually adjustable member mountedupon said aircraft at a position to one side of said bombsight andwithin convenient reach of the gunnerbombardier.

JOHN C. TROITER.

